19 October 2009: Participants at a three-day sensitization training on gender and climate change resolved to encourage political leaders and African lead negotiators to integrate gender issues into the climate change negotiations ahead of COP 15 in Copenhagen. The training, which was part of the implementation of the Nairobi Declaration of the Network of Women Ministers and Leaders for the Environment, was organized by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), with the collaboration of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

The Nairobi Declaration called on governments to support the efforts of the Global Gender and Climate Alliance in pushing for a gender-responsive process and outcomes under the UNFCCC, and also called for the development of Clean Development Mechanism projects that are women-friendly and simplified. The training introduced delegates to the various dimensions of gender and climate change and also trained them on ways of mainstreaming gender equality into climate change initiatives at the national, regional and international levels.
In addition, delegates were taught how to understand the various international mandates, conventions and legal frameworks and their implications for promoting gender in climate change debates. In a statement at the closing, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Water and Environment Affairs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, said the Network of Women Ministers would follow the ongoing subregional consultations to ensure that gender concerns are fully integrated into the framework of Africa’s positions leading to Copenhagen. [ECA press release]